Testimonials

There are very few people I want to see at 3.30 in the morning. Sarita Allison, despite three years of such summonses, remained one of them. Her constant professionalism, her sensitivity to the actor, her good humour and her determination to not let standards slip marks her out as one of the best in the business.

Without obtrusiveness, without panic, without annoyance—Sarita ensures the makeup looks its best on screen at all times. Her care and passion for the Creature’s ‘look’ enthused my continuing love of the character just as much as the quality of the writing. She is a marvel.

Rory Kinnear, Actor, Penny Dreadful

Penny Dreadful, in which I played the Master Vampire in season 1, was my first creature role and first large-scale filming job – and I could not have wished for a greater colleague, artist, and friend to see me through the whole adventure. Given the extent and complexity of the full-body make-up, Sarita and I would usually spend the entire day together – beginning at 4am and finishing its removal hours after wrap – and her priority was always my comfort, welfare, and ability to perform in often extremely tough conditions: extensive prosthetics/lenses, fire, stunt work, gallons of blood, the Irish winter.

Sarita’s attentiveness and personality are matched by her skill as an artist – her designs, applications, and paintwork are nuanced and detailed; vital to a performer and greatly aiding the process of bringing this otherworldly creature to life. We developed a trust and friendship that made the work a real pleasure each day. I would leap at the chance to work with her again after such a life-changing experience!

Robert Nairne, Actor & Creature Performer, Penny Dreadful

Working with Sarita Allison for the past three years on Penny Dreadful has been an absolute pleasure. She’s a gifted artist and a truly innovative thinker about her craft. Beyond that, she’s a jolly companion during very long shooting days.

John Logan, Executive Producer/Showrunner, Penny Dreadful

I can’t say enough great things about Sarita—she is an absolute dream to work with. For the past three years she has been the Key Prosthetic Makeup Artist on the hit Showtime series PENNY DREADFUL. She recently won the BAFTA and was just nominated for an Emmy for her work on the series.

As a producer, I try to create a team of experts in their individual fields who are highly skilled, motivated, responsible and dedicated. Sarita is all of that and more. She is by far one of the most talented prosthetic Makeup Artists that I have ever worked with. No job is too big or too small for her. I am in awe of her outstanding work. I feel that Sarita and her team have elevated the series to a whole new level.

Not only is Miss Allison highly skilled, she’s also a joy to work with. Even when she been on set since the crack of dawn doing makeup, she always has a smile on her face. Her warmth and charm make the long hours of production a whole lot easier to manage.

Chris King, Supervising Producer, Penny Dreadful

I have worked with Sarita for over 20 years and would have no hesitation recommending her as an extremely dedicated, talented Makeup Artist.

Ted Thornton, Producer

I have worked with Sarita over the last twenty years and have found her to be professional and great to have on set.

Tom Merilion, Director

I love Sarita. She’s a great Makeup Artist and great company. She has worked on numerous shoots with me and every time the results were perfect. Not just in terms of technical ability, but in the way she becomes part of the atmosphere of the shoot and knows exactly when to add something or to hold back.

She has the talent and perception for every extreme, from makeup that looks as though it isn’t there at all, to the extravagantly glamorous, through to dramatic prosthetics, special effects and character. Her wide ranging experience from portraiture to feature films and beyond gives her a rare depth and sensitivity in a profession that tends towards one dimensional approaches.

Andrew Catlin, Photographer, Artist, Explorer

Sarita is an exceptional effects Makeup Artist who is creative, reliable and fearless. She has proved invaluable on many occasions. I would recommend her to anyone.

Nick Dudman

I’ve worked with Sarita twice—she was Hair & Makeup Designer for two of my movies, TORMENTED (2009) and THE INFIDEL (2010). In the first she had to oversee a score of beautiful teenagers become mangled dead corpses (or in one case, into a vengeful blue-veined, black-eyed zombie); whilst in THE INFIDEL she had to deal with more beards than any woman really wants to know about in the normal course of events.

In both cases, she discharged her duties with style and grace, helping us make demanding schedules whilst keeping standards very high. I’d be delighted to work with her again.

Arvind Ethan David, Producer

Sarita is a fantastic Makeup Artist/Designer. She is incredibly creative, a pleasure to work with and excels at both Beauty and Special FX Makeup.